An Unlikely Wedding
by FarranRose
Summary: When the war comes to a sudden end, Tom Riddle has to marry a Light Wizard to consolidate the newly established bond between Dark and Light. Harry, former member of the resistence and part of an elite unit, however just wants to live a peaceful life in Muggle London. Unfortunately, he's chosen to be Riddles consultant in order to find him the perfect partner. (HP/TR)
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:**  
When the war comes to a sudden end, Lord Tom Marvolo Riddle has to marry a Light Wizard to  
consolidate the newly established bond between Dark and Light. And as fate would have it, he  
already has one oblivious green eyed wizard in mind.  
Harry however just wants to live a peaceful life in Muggle London. Unfortunately, he has to find the  
perfect partner for Tom Riddle as a final task before he's released from his duties once and for all.

* * *

"I can see right through all your stupid lies, so you better save yourself some pain and just tell me what I need to know."  
The figure whimpered on the ground, he almost thought the man would finally give in, but then an ugly grin spread across his face.

Harry Potter wore plain dark clothing with a black hooded cloak and a mask that was concealing his face completely - Except for his  
killing curse eyes. He could see blood on the mans teeth, it was running down his chin and dripped onto the stone floor.  
Part of it landed on his shoes, but he didn't care. Every second was one second he did not have.  
"I'm not a traitor, unlike you and the rest of your shitty resistence. But the Dark Lord's Regime's gonna change everything to the better.  
He's the saviour of the Wizarding World."  
Harry bent forward to him then, as if they weren't in the middle of a fight that was going to decide the fate of hundreds, but as if they  
had a private conversation. His tone of voice was low, but dark and oddly casual at the same time:  
"You know, you people always talk about Riddle like he's some sort of religious figure.  
But let me tell you something about your saviour:  
He doesn't even know the two of us exist. He's an aristocrat, probably sitting in some expensive office chair all day ordering the deaths  
of countless innocents.  
You're just a chess piece. We're all chess pieces.  
He's using you, manipulating every single one of his followers, chasing and murdering anyone who dares to get in his way. As soon as you don't fit into his picture, you're dead. In his eyes, simple soldiers like you and me are nothing more than the dirt beneath his shoes. So just believe me, you do not want a government that is run by someone like Voldemort."  
"Don't say his name, mudblood! We're nothing alike!", the man screamed, immediately furious.  
A smile, almost not noticeable, tugged at the corner of Harrys lips as he stood up; all of a sudden, he held his wand in hand and muttered an incantation  
unbeknown to the other.  
His target's body went limp like a puppet whose strings had been cut: Helpless, he toppled forward into blackness.  
Heat flooded everything around them, Harrys Magic, and the man's head snapped up again, his eyes looking somewhere far away:  
"There is this library... in Muggle London."  
Such a weak will.

Harry always considered his unit special - and it was.  
They were a group of three wizards, each of them having some sort of special ability, though Harry was still different. Something else.  
He'd always thought of himself as cursed by Magic.  
Only few people knew of his secret and he planned to keep it that way as long as he lived.  
He didn't speak of it, ever. He did not take use of it if it could be avoided, which wasn't always the case.  
The unit he belonged to was operating silently in the darkness, taking orders only from the very top, the order of the phoenix.  
They weren't like the rest of them, they were a secret elite and, most importantly, only loyal to each other.  
There have already been fights breaking out between light and dark wizards - in the middle of the streets of Muggle London!  
The chaos was disastrous, the memories almost too many to be all completely deleted.  
The entire Wizarding world was in danger, but everything they could see was how to destroy the enemy.  
Empty parliament, no minister. Dumbledore dead, killed by the Dark Lord, according to countless rumours, leaving the Light side without a leading figure.  
So as much as his group had wished to stay out of everything at first...  
As much as Harry wanted to remain nobody to everyone - the moment had come when they had to choose and became supporters of the Resistence.  
Because it needed to end then, and it needed to end fast.  
That's why they had ended up working for the Light as some kind of secret supporting unit.

War isn't pretty and he'd seen a lot of things he'd rather forget and erase from his mind forever, but one thing kept him alive despite everything.  
Trust. Not in the light. Not in the dark. But in his comrades.  
And even though their missions were rare and secret, they somehow managed to become kind of famous on the radio and in the newspapers as _The Black Trio_.  
Of course, their identity remained unknown to the public.  
There was no occasion any of them would have gone anywhere without being cloaked in black and wearing masks when on a mission.  
But their eyes.  
They had been given names by the newspapers obviously matching the color of their eyes: Blue, Grey and Green.  
Funny what they told people about them, too  
\- _Blue_ was seemingly no one to be messed with, cold and lordly. And he somehow managed to be considered the most powerful of the three.  
They should see Malfoy in the morning, complaining like a child when there was no milk left for him to put into his coffee.  
Harry could easily kick the blonds ass.  
 _Grey_ was said to be very skillfull, especially when it came to more complicated spells or sneaking around, nobody happened to be able to catch a glance of her.  
Everyone considered her invisible, though they knew from various video tapes that she must be a female with greyish eyes. Harry agreed with them calling Luna the most clever of the three, but they had no idea about her true capabilities.  
...And then there was _Green_.  
There wasn't much said about the third member, be it on the radio or in the newspapers, because he made sure to destroy every nearby camera and obliviate those he encountered most of the time.  
But the little what they had to say of him annoyed Harry to no end.  
He was described as the pretty one of the three. The merciful idiot.  
He was being disregarded.  
They depicted him as a foolish boy, only ever talking about his appearence, about how green his eyes were - as if he didn't know the pain of war, as if he wasn't powerful, wasn't clever or to be taken seriously...  
Of course it displeased him.  
But better let the people believe it.  
Rita Skeeter of all people wrote the first article portraying him in such a light and afterwards everyone followed suit.  
He'd always hated her full-of-stupid-gossip articles, even before it turned into some sort of personal matter as well.  
But the war would end soon, one way or another, Harry was certain. He was on his groups seventh secret mission.  
And thanks to the poor unconcious figure on the ground, "Green" now knew the location of the last of Lord Voldemorts Horcruxes.

* * *

Not even Harry was incautious enough to take on such an important task all alone.  
So he currently watched one certain Draco Malfoy operating on the lock of a Muggle London Library in the middle of the night, as if the blond was an admittedly talent free muggle thief.  
Luna stood somewhere behind them, waiting patiently. Sure, they could have opened the lock in a matter of seconds by using magic.  
But the plan was not to.  
Any kind of magic around the Dark Lords last Horcrux could throw off some secret alarm, they thought.  
So they broke in like normal vandals.  
That way, they could steal the Horcrux and, if everything went according to plan, it wouldn't be noticed until they destroyed it, just like they had destroyed the rest of them.  
Nobody cares if muggles accidently break into the same library that harbores a piece of the Dark Lords soul, do they? What could possibly go wrong?

As it turned out, many did care. They weren't even halfway inside the building when a bunch of death eaters appeared out of nowhere and began attacking the three of them wildly  
with no further warning whatsoever. Harry was quick to react and cast a _protego_ just fast enough to escape a seemingly nasty curse he didn't recocnize.  
"Go find the book, Grey! It has to be some kind of diary!", he called while Draco and him shielded their comrade from view.  
She immediately ran up the stairs.  
Harry didn't waste any time looking after her as she did:  
It was 2 against 6. And those were merely the first to arrive. It had been worse, but they were taken by surspirse.  
"Where do you think you're going?!", some Death Eater witch screamed furiously as she watched Lunas retreat from the fight - and she immediately ran after her.  
2 against 5 then.  
Curses began to fly around in the library in a fast pace and not soon after they startet fighting, Harry lost sight of Draco as well.  
He managed to coordinate his duel through several rooms in order to look for the diary in the meantime, an admittedly awful time for multitasking.  
In consequence, he was hit by a curse that injured his right shoulder quite badly, making it awfully painful for him to quickly raise his wand arm.  
Another spell hit him and slammed him against one of the bookshelves.  
He remained on the ground after that and leaned against the wooden shelf, hissing in pain - when he felt it.  
This sensation.  
It was neither coldness nor heat. It was heavy, it was dark and it was suddenly all consuming.  
...The seventh Horcrux, it sat right above his head on the shelf.  
His expression did not betray him even under his mask.  
3 of the 5 Death Eaters had decided to chase after him when Draco and Harry parted, probably because they thought him to be an easy target. One of them was left by now.  
But this one seemed to be more powerful.  
 _Lucius Malfoy_ , he suddenly recocnized him despite his Death Eater mask, even though only a single strand of hair, thin as a spider leg, had found its way onto the older mans forehead.  
The universe really was hilarious.  
 _If he only knew!_ , Harry thought, that his own thought-to-be-dead-son was fighting at the side of Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood.  
How they came to be so close friends was even beyond Harry himself, he could only imagine how unbelievable it would have been for Lucius Malfoy, of all people.  
The pureblood was calmly walking towards him now, obviously assuming Harry to be unconscious due to his closed eyes, but always with his wand tip pointed at him.

Harry patiently waited for the perfect moment to strike.  
Like a cat.  
 _One. Two. Three. Now._ Harry raised his wand with an impressing speed and cast a wordless spell - it immeditely knocked the arrogant blonde out,  
seemingly catching him off guard. Hot pain exploded in his arm right afterwards. Harry could feel his own magic then, it was crackling in the air and radiating soothing warmth.  
It had always been light, without being so truly.  
It was too heavy. Almost like...  
His head snapped up, searching for the diary. It caught his eye almost immediately now that he knew where to look for it.  
He took the thing: Plain dark leather.  
One of million other diarys that looked all the same. But no one, not even Tom Riddle, could fully conceal such dark and powerful magic.  
Harry grinned and cast a patronus as a way to message the other two, he had no doubt they've been successfully defending theirselves against the death suckers.  
He watched as out of the end of his wand burst a shining silver stag, its light almost blinding in the librarys half darkness.

"Got it. Meet me at home."

And the animal disappeared.  
 _How does it even know where to find them?_ , Harry wondered as he was about to get up.  
Only to be slammed against the shelf once more, but this time, a directly following spell disarmed him. His wand clattered to the floor, only metres away from him, but far enough for it to be of no use.  
 _Where the hell had that come from?_ Out of nowhere. And without sound.  
More surprised than anything, Harry looked up, his mask and hood still in place, concealing him.  
 _Clack.  
Clack.  
Clack._  
A man stepped out of the shadows, slowly approaching.  
It took Harry a while to recognize who exactly it was and as he did, every fibre of his being went cold and rigid.  
He'd never met him in person. But there he was, almost leisurely making his way towards him.  
Tom Marvolo Riddle himself. And his gaze was aflame.

* * *

Author's Note: So this is my very first FF ever... (And I just love Tom/Harry stories).  
I'd love any kind of review/advice so I can improve my writing.  
Also, english is not my first language. Please forgive me if there are any grammar/spelling mistakes!  
I'd really appreciate it if you pointed them out to me.


	2. Chapter 2

"My my, look who's there", Tom Riddle said almost conversational as he came to a halt right in front of Harry, fiery red eyes looking down at the diary he still held in his hands, but apparently in no hurry to regain it whatsoever.  
„A resistence member."  
The man had an aura of smug arrogance around him. His tone of voice was dark, yet calm, like he was someone used to indicating fear with his mere presence.  
Which was probably the case.

Also, he didn't even do as much as glance at the limp body of Lucius Malfoy.

The man was more than a head taller than Harry, even if they both had stood.

Weird. He'd always thought of Voldemort as inhumanly looking, and somehow, he was right, even though in another way than expected.  
He theoretically knew how the Dark Lord looked like, of course, but it was always different seeing someone face to face.

His features were youthful, almost angelic, and his skin seemed pale in contrast to his dark brown locks.

He wore a black shirt and a black pair of pants, his blood red tie somehow highlighting his crimson eyes.

Quite handsome. Maybe that's why so many adored him.

Thick powerful magic radiated from him as naturally as body heat. It was dark and heavy just like the diarys, but so much stronger. It was drowning.

Disappointment flashed across the mans face as he took a closer look at Harry: "Well, that's a shame. I was hoping to have gotten _the most powerful_."

"The most powerful, as you're all so keen to call him, is currently not available. But we could have some fun instead."

Riddle blinked in surprise. He only then noticed the others relatively calm posture, even though there should have been nothing but fear.

Mild curiosity shone from vibrant green eyes instead as the two stared at each other in silence for a moment.

The man on the ground before him was unarmed, yet not afraid, Riddle realized, inwardly frowning. He had heard of this certain underground group which was compromising with the Light, of course. Always when he felt one of his horcruxes getting destroyed, he later on learned it had been their doing or that they've somehow been involved in it.

Sometimes he imagined killing the three of them through slow torture.

This must be Green, then. The third one, the pretty kind-heart who never aimed to kill. Except for his soul, it seemed.

A mask hid his face, a hooded cloak the rest of him, though Rita Skeeter had been right for once: His eyes were exceptionally beautiful. Pity their light would fade so soon.  
 _Who's hiding beneath that mask?_

He was just about to find out when suddenly, the other man reached for his wand despite his injury so very fast it took even Riddle a second to register, but not fast enough.

In the blink of an eye, the Dark Lord held his wand in hand and pointed it towards Green.

" _Crucio_ ", he muttered calmy, like he had thousands of times before, with the intention to _hurt, to shred, to tear apart._

He wouldn't be disappointed: sweet agonized screams immediately echoed through the library, and Riddle couldn't stop himself from being thrilled at the sound.

He lowered his wand, not planning to lift the curse too soon.

Though the screams stopped abruptly. And suddenly, the entire room fell into silence, before the hooded figure on the ground broke out in loud and barking laughter - The man he'd just crucioed was laughing at him _, mockingly!_

 _He was never shocked. Never caught off guard. Never._  
And yet here he stood, frozen in utter confusion.  
Because it just wasn't possible, the other should have been in sheer agony.

In only a matter of seconds, an seemingly unfazed Green was standing right in front of him, having his wand pointed loosely at the taller mans chest.

Riddle could feel his magic then, through the tip of the others wand.

Warm, both in color and temperature, but heavy and powerful just like his own.

Intoxicating.

"How-"

He wouldn't get the chance to end the question, because the dark clothed thief disapparated right then and there. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before he disappeared, together with the last and once first of his precious Horcruxes.

* * *

Luna and Draco had been waiting for him, anxiety written all over the faces as the time went by.

He'd sent the patronus. So why wasn't he coming?

When Harry finally appeared, relieve washed over them - only to be immediately replaced with worry as they saw his injured shoulder.

He brushed it off, it was merely a scratch.

Thinking about what could have happened in this library, he was glad he'd been able to use Riddles moment of surprise to his benefit.

 _Everyone would have been surprised though. Harry was an abnormity._

 _A freak._

* * *

It was two days post-incident when they heard of it.

"A peace contract?! Negotiations?! Between Lord Voldemort and the Order?!"

Draco couldn't believe it, even though it was constantly repeated on the radio and written in every newspaper of Magical Britain.  
„Does that mean... the war is over?", Luna asked and looked at her friends from over the kitchen table, wide eyed and hopeful.  
Harry felt numb. A peace contract. That contained the word _peace_ , did it?  
It was all he'd ever wanted to happen since the first _protests_ had begun on Londons streets.  
All his life, he'd felt helplessness in the face of fate, with his parents being dead since he was just an infant and the curse Magic itself had put upon him.  
But they've made a difference, _they've made a difference._  
And something about that made him more happy than anything ever could.

The three of them lived together in a flat somewhere in London, directly over an old and rustic bar that served an extraordinarily delicious _after eight pie_.  
When they had started doing missions in the name of The Order, it became some kind of retreating place for them.  
Harry enjoyed every minute in Muggle London.  
He loved bringing up his chair to the fire and spent many evening hours sitting at the counter of the bar downstairs.  
There was a guy called Eliot, one of the regular customers, and sometimes, they played cards to pass the time.

Eliot was a singer and occasionally, he'd perform a song or two in the evenings.  
Harry didn't have a good singing voice, one could call it decent at most, but he played the violin. Though he wasn't exceptionally good at that either, he just didn't have the time to practice.  
Which wasn't important.  
When making music, every pain he'd ever experienced would fade away for the time being. Nothing else mattered then. So spending time with the Muggle Musician always made him feel kind of... unburdened and light hearted.

„I'm very sure both sides are going to make high demands, but it's a start. No more violence", Harry said and a rare smile appeared on his lips as he did.  
„No more violence", the other two agreed, just as the fireplace burst into flames and, out of nowhere, a letter appeared in its center.  
„That must be The Order", Draco muttered, unimpressed. As he took it, the paper was cold.  
„What's in it?"  
The blonde silently read it through before he answered.  
„It's an invitation of the Order to take part in the negotiations. Also,... one of the Dark Side's conditions is that we bring them the Diary Horcrux – unharmed and fully intact."  
„We can't do that! We just got it! Who's gonna guarantee the ending of the war if Voldemort will stay immortal?", Luna interrupted, obviously scandalized by the sole idea.  
„He and every member of his inner circle promise to make an Unbreakable Vow", Draco read aloud, frowning.  
„If you ask me, I think it was to be expected. Why would Voldemort want to negotiate in the first place?", Harry asked rhetorically.  
„Because there's one thing he desires even more than political power. And that is to save his last remaining Horcrux from destruction. More than anything, he's a human being, one who happens to be incredibly afraid of Death."  
„Well, I wouldn't exactly call this man a human being", the other male muttered as he tipped onto the parchment absentmindedly.  
„Bullshit", Harry grumbled, „we're all human. Even the monstrous maniacs."  
Silence followed his statement.  
„Aren't you happy, Draco?", Luna suddenly asked and he turned his gaze towards her questioningly.  
„With the war's end, you'll get to see your family again."  
Draco didn't look all too happy at that. Worry was written large all over his face.

* * *

Tom Riddle was standing in his office in Malfoy Manor, turned towards the window, seemingly lost in thought and frowning deeply.  
 _Beautiful, the nightly skyline._  
His last Horcrux: In the hands of the enemy, directly snatched from under _his_ nose, and yet all he could think about was one certain pair of vibrant green eyes and sudden mockering laughter echoing through an empty library.

 _But how?_

He would see those eyes again.


	3. Chapter 3

It was storming in this night of four years ago.  
Harry couldn't sleep. He'd recently turned 17. _Everything has changed since then.  
_ Sirius had looked so unhappy when he moved out, as if he felt like he'd failed him.  
But it wasn't Sirius fault. It was him.  
He just prefered to be alone.  
His thoughts were racing. The storm, the rain, the silence in between.  
He felt like he was falling.  
Falling, falling.  
There was nothing but darkness, there was no sound of voice.  
He'd never experienced what it felt like to be _crucioed,_ but nothing could be as bad as this nothingness. Because it was in his throat, in his limps, his heart.  
He had an apartment in Wizarding London then.  
Harry was just about to try sleeping again, when suddenly,  
all the shouts in his mind were drowned by the beating of his heart:  
There was a knock at the door.  
Confused, he got up and made his way to the door. Who on this earth would visit him in the middle of the night, at _1:00 a.m., in a storm like that?_  
When he opened the door, he couldn't have been more surprised. He would have expected anyone but _him:_  
It was Draco Malfoy, _his former school rival_ , walking back and forth in the rain.  
He looked desperate, running his hand through his hair and grimacing like he'd seen the end of the world.  
„I'm sorry. I didn't know where else to go."

* * *

It was a fucking celebration.  
The same people who'd spent what felt like the last thousands of years fighting and killing and torturing each other, came together in the halls of Malfoy Manor this evening to _celebrate a newfound peace._  
The contract technically wasn't even signed yet.

Everyone wore expensive clothes; beautiful dresses and elegant suits.  
Harry and Draco stood away from the noise and the ridiculous spectacle, leaning against some wall with crossed arms, talking to no one.  
They'd debated about what to wear - and eventually decided for their usual black clothing.  
As normally, they wore venetian _La Volto_ masks, covering their whole faces - They were simple, light and very practical, almost perfect for a duel.  
But even with such plain masks, it made them feel out of place. The only reason they kept them on was Draco: He didn't want to meet his parents yet. He even wore his hood upon his head to hide his hair.  
And Harry... Well, the mask was his identity. It was hard to explain, but without it, he felt _vulnerable_. He prefered to be no one for as long as he could. Only very few people knew who they were, he couldn't bring himself to say goodbye to it by taking it off, or at least not _right now_.  
Nobody paid attention to them anyway.  
They were currently listening to a speech of some Light Wizard.  
„Being members of the Resistence, we are naturally torn between the obligations and tasks imposed on us by our believes and our sincere desire for peace. But from this day on, all the pain we had to suffer, the Light Side as well as the Dark, will be a thing of the past.  
The peace treaty will end the war, a war that has claimed many victims. The boom of the cannons is going to fall silent tonight, once and for all. There's not a high price to pay for us in order to archieve this goal..."  
„They cannot even imagine how high the price is. We are the ones who found the diary, we are the ones who risked their lives in order to gather it", Draco muttered, obviously in a sour mood.  
„Well, that's why I hate politics", Harry answered drily.  
Luna didn't even want to come at first, now he saw her dancing with a man he thought to be Neville Longbottom, though he couldn't tell for sure from the distance.  
Beautiful music filled the air.  
She'd asked him. From his perspective, he was dancing with a stranger. But he knew. He must have recognized her from their times at school, despite everything. Because he'd be an idiot if he didn't.  
„I need a drink", Draco said, „what about you?"  
Harry nodded and they made their way towards the buffet.  
„On the bright side, looks like the alcohol is free."  
He was just about to pour the both of them a drink as suddenly, a hand was put on his.  
He looked up - and immediately regretted it.  
Because it was no other than Tom Riddle standing before him, offering him a charming smile like Harry was some kind of politician who'd care.  
How could he get so close without him noticing?  
„Please, let me pour you a glass. The Bordeaux wine is very good", Riddle said and only then let his hand go. His suit seemed to yell _expensive._  
Draco appeared to be just as surprised as Harry. Even the people standing close to them looked somewhat confused.  
His last and only direct encounter with the Dark Lord had been in a fight. He didn't quite know how to act now that he technically wasn't an enemy anymore. Why was the man even talking to them?  
„Well... you can pour me a drink as well while you're at it", the blonde muttered, - but was being ignored.  
Tom Riddle stared at him. And didn't stop staring at him.  
Also, the brunette stood a little _too close_ for Harrys liking.  
His eyes had the very same color as the wine that was now being offered to him by the man.  
"Erm... Thanks... After our last encounter, I rather would have expected to be eaten alive", he said.  
Riddles smile sharpened.  
"Oh but there's no reason for that, is it? Because the diary's gonna be back in my hands by tonight when the peace agreement is signed."  
Harry simply nodded. He then removed his mask a little, enough so that his mouth was free and he could take a sip, revealing sharp features and pale porcelain skin and rose coloured lips that looked like splintered pearls.

"You can be sure that I will keep it safe until then."  
He felt a little uncomfortable under the intensity of the other mans stare.  
As if he was trying to see through his mask by the force of his gaze alone.  
In nature, there are only two reasons for animals to stare at one another. Either aggression or interest. He liked neither the former nor the latter - with Riddle, it seemed to be a mix of both.  
„What are you planning to do, now that the war is over? Are you going to... reveal yourself and work for the ministry?", Riddle suddenly asked.  
Draco involuntarily snorted with suppressed laughter: „ _Green_ and the ministry? That's a hilarious idea."  
„Is that so?", Riddle turned towards the other male, like he was seeing him just then.  
„So you are the Wizard known as Blue, are you? I think we have not yet had the pleasure to meet.  
Weird. I could swear that I've seen eyes like yours before."  
Despite what he'd just said, he didn't seem very confused. His tone of voice sounded dangerous, if anything.  
Wasn't he the one who'd hoped _to have gotten the most powerful_ only a few days ago?  
„Yes. Grey is here as well, if you haven't seen her already. Our group's going to be present tonight to take part in the negotiations", Harry said.  
Those names were so dumb.  
„Really? That means I now have a reason to look forward to it."  
 _What is that supposed to mean?_  
„Whatever.  
It may be the last time you'll see me though. Because after tonight, I'm planning to live my life in _Muggle London_."  
As he said that, there was a flash of light in the Dark Lords eyes. Harrys blood turned cold in his veins, because what he saw in them was pure anger, so briefly that he almost thought he'd imagined it.  
 _Keep calm. It's just his nature. He's crazy, remember?,_ Harry tried to reassure himself as the taller man opened his lips to say something - but was interrupted.  
„My Lord? There's someone who wishes to talk to you", a female voice spoke up from behind them and they simultaniously turned around.  
Dracos eyes widened, that was all that could be seen of his shock. Because it was Lady Malfoy who had spoken and was now waiting expectantly right in front of them, at arm's length.  
The blue eyed pureblood wished nothing more than to embrace her. But he was suddenly petrified.

She didn't look well, did she? Her face seemed unhealthily pale, more pale than ever.

„Of course. Gentleman, if you'd excuse me", his eyes fell back on Harry, „it has been my pleasure to see you again. Hopefully, I'm gonna catch your name as well this very day."

And then he disappeared in the crowd, together with Dracos mother.

Harry didn't know what to think. But he felt sure about one thing; to not trust politicians.

He only had to survive the this evening's meeting, give the diary back and then he could leave this place.

He could disappear.

* * *

Authors Note: So here's a rather short chapter again. I don't know, should I do shorter chapters or rather larger chapters? If I'd decide for larger chapters, it'd take more time for an update of course. I'm uncertain, what do you prefer?

Anyway Tomarry interaction yay. And I just wanted to say: Thank you for your reviews, follows, favorites, views, everything.


	4. Chapter 4

The atmosphere was tense.  
If it weren't for Severus Snape keeping a calm composture, they probably would have just sitten there all evening silently staring at each other.  
But it went great, actually, except for Bellatrix Lestrange staring daggers at Sirius Black. It could have turned out much worse, but Remus placed his hand reassuringly on the other male's arm and never let go for a second the entire evening. He couldn't stop the occasional exchange of nasty insults though.  
The contract was already written and just being looked over by The Dark Lord.  
Of course he would not trust anyone with this task than himself.  
Harry and the others only function seemed to be to hand the diary over as soon as the Unbreakable Vow would be taken. Again, everyone seemed to just ignore that they were even there.  
However, every once in a while Harry noticed a glance being directed at him from two blood red eyes. He didn't know what to think of the man. Before they'd met in the library, he'd thought of him as some politician pulling the strings in the background. And eating... donuts.. or whatever.  
Then again, it had been an important occasion, hadn't it? Because he'd needed to protect a _trump card_.  
It was dead silent in the room, the party was long over.  
They all just sat there and watched Lord Riddle read the piece of parchment, his eyes flying over the words with an impressive speed.  
"Alright", the tall brunette said after a while and put it down onto the table.  
His eyes met with Snapes, his gaze unforgiving, but not giving away anything. Even though his face showed no emotion, everything around him was screaming with raw and powerful magic. It was thick, ever surronding the man like breathed out air.  
It was similar but all the same different with the potions professor: His face was like stone, unmoving and entirely expressionless. Other than Tom Riddle, everything about the bat like man seemed to be strangely concealed, his mind, his thoughts, his magic.  
"There's one more thing", Sirius said and Riddles eyes snapped to him.  
"And what would that be?", he asked in a slow but even voice.  
Several members of the Order exchanged glances then.  
Harry himself earned a questioning glare from Draco and Luna, but he didn't know more than the other two.  
"You'll need to marry. Soon. And it'll have to be a light wizard. It'll have to be a symbolic gesture, to give people reassurance, somehting for them to see. A contract alone isn't enough", Severus said.  
The Dark Lord acually seemed to be caught off guard by that for a moment before his face became once again expressionless.  
"That's a ridiculous request. There'll be a Vow. What better reassurance could they have than that?!", Bellatrix exclaimed, obviously furious.  
"As I said. It's not enough. People need to see."  
„Bullshit! Those stupid-"  
"Bella", the Dark Lord said, only one word, but she immediately fell quite when she heard his warning tone of voice.  
His eyes fell on Harry once again, green emeralds meeting red and all consuming orbs.  
"I have no objections", he then said, sounding calm and cold as ice.  
"Oh your wife's gonna be a lucky one", Harry murmured drily, earning a soft short laugh from his godfather.  
"How dare you... Who the fuck even are you three?", the dark haired witch cried, for the first time acknowledging the presence of the masked trio.  
She always seemed so aggresive, it couldn't be healthy. But then again, she was a crazy bitch.  
"Fine. When there's nothing else to discuss...", Remus spoke up and it was a weird feeling. To know that the war would be over after today, that they'd be free to do whatever they wished to do- in peace.  
"There's one more thing", the Dark Lord interrupted. All eyes landed on him.  
"I want a consultant, someone who'll help me to choose a fitting partner."  
For a moment, it was silent again.  
"This isn't a request. It is a condition."  
The potions master stood up, entirely unaffected by everything that was going on.  
Sometimes, Harry was very glad the man was on their side. Or rather... had been. Because he couldn't imagine the Light could have stood a chance against a combination of the Dark Lord and Severus Snape working together in a team.  
"Understandable", he simply agreed and Riddle stood up.  
It was settled. They'd make a Vow. Harry would give the Diary back. And then he'd leave.  
"I don't want one of the Order members to consult me", Riddle declared cooly.  
Snape raised an eyebrow and briefly let his gaze wander over the people in the room, lingering at Remus and Sirius for a while.  
"That's equally understandable. So who do you want to consult you?"  
A grin split Tom Riddles face, revealing perfect teeth in a sharp smile. It was quite disconcerting, there was nothing friendly or kind about it.  
"The green eyed mask man."  
 _O dear hell._


	5. Chapter 5

"That's absurd. Why would you want a stranger consulting you about such an important matter?", Sirius literally jumped up, always the protecting godfather.  
"I don't think that's any of your concern", Lucius interjected, even if it was obvious he'd wondered exactly the same.  
Until then, Harry had tried to ignore Tom Riddle and his stares, but now he was openly looking back at him.  
The Dark Lord wanted Harry to consult him.  
But Tom Marvolo Riddle doesn't need anyone to do anything for him.  
So he wanted something different.  
Harrys thoughts wandered back to the scene in the library, when Riddle had stood there with everything in control and planned out, a wand pointed at Harrys chest, ready to torture and kill. Harry leaning against the bookshelf, utterly helpless.  
If it had been anyone else, the Dairy would be in the Dark Lords hands by now, without a peace contract or an Unbreakable Vow hindering him to have his way.  
But Riddles Cruciatus Curse hadn't worked on him and so he'd gotten away. It was all by chance.  
 _He wants revenge,_ Harry thought, but wasn't entirely sure _. He wants to know my identity, he said so himself this very evening. He wants to know my secrets. He wants to understand why the spell didn't work. He wants to try again-_  
Harry broke his train of thought.  
He didn't have much of a choice anyway. Peace should be more important than his own comfortability, after all.  
And he was powerful himself. If Riddle thought he could push him around, then he was mistaken.  
"I'll do it", he spoke up, interrupting the rushly developed fight between Sirius and Lucius.  
He sounded more calm than he felt.  
"Someone has to do it, anyway. Look at the man, he certainly knows next to nothing about sweet Light Wizards when he willingly spends all of his time with Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange", Harry joked to lift some of the tension in the room.  
Bella immediately jumped up, furious rage written all over her face: "That's enough! I won't let a dirty mudblood like you insult me!"  
She had her wand out in a matter of seconds, pointing it at Harry with this crazy glimmer in her eyes, wildly grinning.  
He pointed his wand at her as well, and suddenly, everyone in the room was standing upright with their wands in hand. Except for Snape and the Dark Lord.  
"Well, that escalated quickly", Draco muttered quietly, his words only meant for Harry to hear. He'd complained all evening that his father would be present. _If the blond Death Eater only knew who he was pointing at right now._  
"What's up with you, Lestrange? Can't you bear a little bit of friendly teasing?"  
"One more word and I swear..."  
"Bella, let it be. Lower your wands, all of you", Riddle said with a twitch of anger in his voice and unsurprisingly, everyone did as they were told.  
Harry followed suit, and even though his face was masked, his annoyance was obvious.  
"Whatever. Everything's determined in the contract, isn't it, Snape? Then we'll leave now, include me if you wanna. You get the diary next time, I don't have it with me", Harry concluded, his attention all on the Dark Lord at the last bit. He then turned to his friends.  
"Let's go."  
They nodded and went straight out of the door.  
Sometimes, Snape couldn't believe they were already 21 - they always acted like short tempered 10-year-olds. Well, Miss Lovegood being an exception, but she'd never quite acted like a child, so she didn't count. Thinking about who'd raised the Potter boy, it made sense though - and his own godson had always been a pest.  
"I'm looking forward to working together." Harry heard Tom Riddle say before they left.  
 _What a prick._

Back in their Apartment in Muggle London, they sat together around the kitchen table and listened to Draco complaining about his life.  
Harry was very distracted with the prospect of having to meet and talk to The Dark Lord, but he did his best to be there for his friend.  
"How am I supposed to reveal to them that I'm not dead? My father will be beyond angry, that's for sure, but my mother..! She's gonna hate me! Have you seen her today? She looked like a ghost. I'm so selfish!"  
"Good, I thought you'd never realize that", Harry said while lightning his cigarette.  
"Not helpful."  
Harry leaned back in his chair and looked up at the desperate blonde, breathing out a cloud of smoke.  
"You wanna hear my opinion?", he asked.  
Luna sat there and listened to them while drawing on a blue napkin. She'd never say much when Draco began complaining like that.  
"I think she'll be happy. More happy than you can even imagine. If you think it was selfish of you to fake your death in order to escape the Dark Lords grasp, stop being selfish now and tell her you're alive. It's over, Draco, and Riddle already assumes that you're _Blue_ , anyway. Not even a mask can protect you from looking exactly like your father."  
"Which isn't a bad thing", Luna said reassuringly.  
„I just... I don't think I'm brave enough", he admitted unwillingly.  
It was silent for a moment before Harry spoke up again.  
„Guys. I hate to say it, but... As much as I loved being no one with you... I think those times are over now."  
He just realized that.  
It would never be the same. The masks survived their purpose and now they would have to let them go. If they had something to return to, like Harry and Draco, or nothing, like Luna.  
She'd lost everyone. Harry, at least, still had Sirius.  
He felt guilty for not thinking about that before.  
But when they formed this trio ages ago, everything had been so confusing, so fast. They somehow ended up together in this bar, half drunk and sad, and saw the masks hanging on the wall and... That was it. They just decided it would be better to disappear then.  
Children that had gotten lost in the war.  
Draco had been given the task to kill Albus Dumbledore by the Dark Lord at that time.  
With Snapes help, he'd faked his death and became Blue. Harry couldn't see what was selfish about that. His parents would understand.  
"I think you're right, Harry", Luna said and stopped drawing.  
She'd drawn bees, and with the napkins blue color, it looked like they were flying in the sky.  
Everything felt just so... silent and sad and weird.  
"Today's not a good day", Harry sighed and inhaled deeply.  
"But it went alright", Luna retorted.  
Suddenly, Draco stood up, got 3 tumbler and placed them on the table.  
He took a bottle of gin and poured the three of them a glass, with lots of ice in it.  
Harry put his cigarette out and questioningly raised an eyebrow at his friend.  
"Let's have a glass to celebrate our time as nobodys. And then... well, then we burn the masks and move on."  
For a moment, nobody said anything, before they nodded in agreement.  
They clinked glasses.  
Harry and Draco smoked with the radio on until they fell asleep at the kitchen table.  
When they woke, it was in the middle of the night, and they burned the masks without another word.


End file.
